One fundraiser related her story of how she got into the profession: I was working for a mid-size corporation and was asked to handle the annual United Way Campaign. I knew absolutely zero about fundraising. I first went to the Vice President for Human Resources and asked that the company double whatever I could raise. He readily answered in the affirmative. I then went to each department, talked about core United Way services that could one day help them or their neighbors or friends, and then I asked every person to contribute a dollar per paycheck. Only a dollar.
When nearly every employee signed up, the company’s match was much more significant than they had anticipated, but they followed through. The CEO was congratulated publicly, with press coverage, by the local United Way Executive Director. Everyone profited.
What are the fundraising lessons from this experience?
Don’t discount small donations; rather, encourage them, especially in a campaign for small donations from lots of donors. “Every dollar counts” has become a tired phrase, but it’s true nonetheless. Every dollar does count. One fundraiser recently heard that a performing arts school needed new tutus that were not in their budget. She asked her friends for $5 each and asked them to ask their friends for $5 each. (What is social media for, after all?) Soon there were new tutus.
People want to donate but those who only have the capacity for small donations often shy away from contributing because they don’t think their gift will make a real difference. Imagine how good they would feel if they were told, You are one of 20 people who helped purchase this tutu. Helping people see how their particular gift makes a difference will encourage them to donate. (This is true for donors at every level.)
Ask a donor with the capacity for a major gift to create a matching gift that will double or triple all donations of $100 or less in the next two months until their entire gift is matched. All of a sudden, a donor who is able to contribute $25 feels as if their contribution to that cause is much more significant. And the major gift donor also benefits – that gift helped bring in many other donors, several of whom may be new donors to that cause, which in itself is quite valuable.
Donors who have made small gifts may turn into volunteers. They may offer in-kind contributions. They may even give larger gifts if their life situations change. But donors who give a gift at any level, year after year, are key contributors to the long-term sustainability of your organization. Thank them, thank them, and thank them again, and everyone will profit.
If you or your Board need donor-tracking software to increase your ability to have effective campaigns of any size, please contact us to see how we can help.
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